Hamilton’s Ali Crawford tempers Rangers’ return to the top flight

Hamilton’s Ali Crawford scores against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership at the Ibrox.
Photograph: Ian Rutherford/PA

With an hour played of this, the opening match of the Scottish Premiership season, perhaps some Rangers supporters wondered if the struggle had been worth it. Precisely 150 games – league and play-off – after being consigned to the bottom tier, Rangers found themselves labouring badly against Hamilton Academical. Welcome back?

Two instances thereafter were interesting. In basic football terms, the introduction of Harry Forrester and Michael O’Halloran rescued a point for Rangers even if Martyn Waghorn claimed the crucial goal. The duo injected much-needed pace and life into a stagnant attacking display. The reaction from the stands at full time was also noteworthy, the howls of derision which would historically have greeted a result against one of the top tier’s lesser lights who have not won here in 29 years – replaced by understanding and, generally, applause.

The latter aspect was both a credit to the Rangers support and, if it continues, a benefit to a team who could otherwise be weighed down by expectation which would not apply to other newly promoted teams. Perhaps four years in the nether regions of the Scottish game tempered lofty aspirations. It has not doused anger as to what occurred in 2012, going by the vociferous booing as afforded to the SPFL’s chief executive, Neil Doncaster, as he took to the field before kick-off. “Back by unpopular demand” read a flag unfurled in the Broomloan Stand. Fans of other clubs will at least concur.

In public, Mark Warburton bemoaned a lack of quality from his players and admitted that perhaps the magnitude of this occasion affected them. Privately, the Rangers manager may actually view this low-key return as a benefit to the level of background noise that otherwise would surround his position.

There is no real, present-day logic behind ideas of Rangers challenging Celtic for the title this season on the grounds of on- and off-field resource alone. Those pining for an immediate return to blow-for-blow Old Firm battles as title races will almost certainly have to wait .

This was all apparent even before Ali Crawford’s brilliant strike sent Hamilton ahead at Ibrox. The forward had easily escaped a challenge from Niko Kranjcar before blasting high past Wes Foderingham. The goalkeeper need not have bothered diving.

Earlier, the Rangers defence had not dealt with a perfectly routine Greg Docherty cross from the right. By this 30th minute juncture, a promising Rangers start had faded badly. Kranjcar was heavy-legged in midfield, Kenny Miller anonymous in attack and Joey Barton, while accurate with long-range passing, doing little to hurt the opposition.

Change was key. With Forrester’s first touch, he played a cross to the feet of the prolific Waghorn. The striker needed only one touch to slide the ball underneath Remi Matthews, thereby raising hope that Rangers could begin what they hope will be a fresh era of success with three points. That cause was hampered by the loss of Waghorn – Rangers had already made three substitutes – with eight minutes to play. The 26-year-old crumbled in a heap holding his right hamstring and, while the best case scenario is that Waghorn has suffered only a spasm, it will be today when a proper diagnosis is available.

The one from the Rangers captain, Lee Wallace, in respect of this game was “disappointing”. Hamilton, of course, are entitled to different emotion entirely, the team heavily tipped for relegation having claimed a result that few had predicted. Either to the visitors’ credit or the detriment of Rangers, Hamilton were hardly sweating during the dying embers of the encounter.

“Coming here was always going to be difficult but to take something from the game was great,” said Hamilton’s manager, Martin Canning. “We worked so hard and I’m delighted to come away with a point.”